With the finality of Moises Alou's torn hamstring and the persistance of Ryan Church's post-concussion symptoms, the New York Mets current starters in the outfield corners are Fernando Tatis and Endy Chavez.  With Damion Easley starting everyday in the place of the injured Luis Castillo, Marlon Anderson now has the role of back-up 1B, 2B, and OF.  Rookie Nick Evans could help, but I doubt anyone looks at this roster and thinks it can overtake the Phillies without getting offensive reinforcement.

Newsday conjectures "Cleveland's Casey Blake, Cincinnati's Adam Dunn, San Francisco's Randy Winn and Seattle's Raul Ibañez might be available. Pittsburgh's Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, too. But the Mets' farm system might not have enough in it to wiggle those two away."

The bigger question I have is when teams will turn their attention to the hitting trade market.  The Mets clearly need reinforcements.  The Arizona Diamondbacks also need some help with $30MM man Eric Byrnes out for the season and Justin Upton dealing with a strained left oblique.  The New York Yankees could also use some help as an outfield of Brett gardner, Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu doesn't exactly bring the noise for a line-up already startign Derek Jeter, Jose Molina and Robinson Cano.

Any of these teams would be served by striking fast, but the Mets are clearly the worst of the three and should make it a priority.

In other trade rumor news:

Tampa Bay Rays:
*  Looking for a right-handed hitter like Xavier Nady, Matt Murton and Casey Blake
*  Like brian Fuentes but will not pay with AA starters Wade Davis or Jeremy Hellickson

Pittsburgh Pirates:
*  Will pursue pitching prospects in a trade
*  Can the Yankees be persuaded to deal a couple/three of them for Xavier Nady, a hitter the Yankees need and would control through 2009?

Arizona Diamondbacks:
*  Tony Clark, "I wish I knew how to quit you."